Precision material modification using miniature-column charged particle beam arrays

ABSTRACT

Methods, devices and systems for targeted, maskless modification of material on or in a substrate using charged particle beams. Electrostatically-deflected charged particle beam columns can be targeted in direct dependence on the design layout database to perform direct and knock-on ion implantation, producing patterned material modifications with selected chemical and 3D-structural profiles. The number of required process steps is reduced, reducing manufacturing cycle time and increasing yield by lowering the probability of defect introduction. Local gas and photon injectors and detectors are local to corresponding individual columns, and support superior, highly-configurable process execution and control. Targeted implantation can be used to prepare the substrate for patterned blanket etch; patterned ALD can be used to prepare the substrate for patterned blanket deposition; neither process requiring photomasks or resist. Arrays of highly configurable beam columns can also be used to perform both positive and negative tone lithography in a single pass.

CROSS-REFERENCE

Priority is claimed from, and this application is a non-provisional of,Provisional Pat. App. No. 62/107,332, filed Jan. 23, 2015; ProvisionalPat. App. No. 62/115,626, filed Feb. 12, 2015; and Provisional Pat. App.No. 62/151,225, filed Apr. 22, 2015, which are hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates to systems, devices and methods formaskless material modification on or in substrates using chargedparticle beams; and more particularly to directly modifying materialproperties at precise locations as defined in a design layout databaseusing multiple, matched charged particle beams, with the assistance ofgas and/or photon injection, and/or of gas and/or photon processcontrol, metrology and endpoint detection.

Note that the points discussed below may reflect the hindsight gainedfrom the disclosed inventions, and are not necessarily admitted to beprior art.

FIG. 2A shows an example of a wafer 200 being scanned by multiplecharged particle beams 204 emitted by respective miniatureelectrostatically-deflected beam columns 206. Individual columns 206 areable to target a portion 202 of the substrate surface 606 with theirrespectively emitted beams 204.

FIG. 2B shows an example of a wafer 200. Example die 208 size and column206 center-to-center spacing 210 (column separation) are shown. Aregular grid of columns 206 (columns 206 are shown via their centerpositions, represented here as plusses) can use different spacing 210 indifferent (generally, orthogonal) directions. Die 208 size and columnseparation 210 are not required to (and generally, will not) correspond.Column separation 210 generally corresponds to the “writing area” ofcorresponding columns 206. A column's 206 “writing area” is defined asthe substrate area 202 targetable by a charged particle beam 204 emittedfrom the column 206, taking into account stage movement.

The multiple column 206 array comprises miniature (small enough to fitmultiple columns in an array) charged particle beam columns 206 arrangedin a regular grid. For example, column 206 arrays with center-to-centercolumn spacing 210 of 30 mm×30 mm have been implemented, though othercolumn spacings 210 (e.g., 24 mm×33 mm) can also be used.

A stripe is the portion of the wafer 200 surface that a charged particlebeam can target while the stage is moving predominantly in a singledirection, i.e., before the stage moves laterally and switchespredominant directions to give the beam access to a different stripe. A“frame” is defined herein as the portion of the wafer surface that abeam can target at a given time, corresponding to the main-fielddeflection area at that time, as designated by the design layoutdatabase. A frame is typically designated to be rectangular, forconvenience (e.g., to tile the writing area); and smaller than thefurthest extent to which the beam can be deflected (e.g., to preservebeam targeting accuracy).

“1-D” refers to 1-D gridded design rule. In a 1-D layout, opticalpattern design is restricted to lines running in a single direction,with features perpendicular to the 1-D optical design formed in acomplementary lithography step known as “cutting”. The complementarystep can be performed using a charged particle beam lithography toolcomprising an array of columns 206—for example,electrostatically-controlled miniature electron beam columns 206. A 1-Dlayout is separated in the design layout database into a “line pattern”and a “cut pattern”. The design layout database contains the informationneeded by lithography tools to pattern one or more layers on a substrate604. A line pattern generally comprises an array of unidirectionallines. Cut patterns generally comprise line-cuts and holes (“cutfeatures”).

Generally, line patterns are written by an optical lithography system,which can be followed by other process steps to increase the density oflines on the substrate 604. Cut patterns are written by a complementary(generally higher-resolution) process, such as electron beamlithography. Use of electron beam lithography for this complementaryprocess is also called complementary e-beam lithography, or CEBL. Thecombination of the line-forming process followed by line-cuts writtenwith CEBL to pattern a substrate layer is called complementarylithography.

FIG. 2C shows an example of a prior art process for modifying materialon (or in) a substrate 604 using ion implantation.

Typically, as shown in FIG. 2C, a design layout database is used todesignate where on a substrate material should be modified 212 (e.g., toform transistor active areas through ion implantation). One or moreoptical masks are fabricated based on the design layout database 214using a mask making tool 216. Fabrication of an optical mask set(multiple masks) typically takes weeks and costs millions of dollars atadvanced process nodes.

“Blanket” deposition and etch (or other process) generally refers todeposition and etch (or other process) on the entire surface 606 of thesubstrate 604.

“Resist” refers herein to a class of materials used in substratelithography. When a resist is deposited on a substrate 604 and exposedto an energy source corresponding to the type of resist (e.g., photonsfor a photoresist) in a chosen pattern, its chemical properties change(e.g., causing cross-linking between or dissociation of resistmolecules) such that when the resist is developed (in ways similar todeveloping a photographic film), a portion of the resist correspondingto a positive or negative image of the pattern (depending on the type ofresist) will remain, allowing the pattern to be expressed in thematerial underlying the resist, e.g., using etch steps. Portions of apositive tone resist which have been exposed to a corresponding energysource become soluble to and will be removed by a correspondingdeveloper. Portions of a negative tone resist which have been exposed toa corresponding energy source become insoluble to a correspondingdeveloper, which will remove the unexposed portions of the negative toneresist.

A photoresist layer is blanket deposited on the substrate surface 606 instep 218 by a resist deposition tool 220. The photoresist is thenexposed using the optical mask(s) 222 by an optical lithography tool224. The exposed portion of the resist layer (as designated by theoptical mask(s)) is removed 226 using a resist developing tool 228, andthe resulting patterned resist layer is inspected for defects andprocess control metrology (After Develop Inspection (ADI) and metrology)230 by an inspection tool 232.

The substrate surface 606 is then blanket modified 234 (using ionimplantation), through the pattern expressed in the resist layer bysteps 222 and 226, using an ion implantation tool 236 to express(substantially) the same pattern in the underlying material. The resistlayer is then removed 238 by a resist removal tool 240. One of ordinaryskill in the arts of charged particle beam material modification willunderstand that other and/or additional steps can be used in aconventional ion implantation process.

T_(i) represents the amount of time added by a corresponding processstep. Y_(i) represents the yield impact of a corresponding process step(one minus probability of introducing one or more yield-reducingdefects). Where T is the total time taken by a material modificationprocess, and Y is the expected yield following a material modificationprocess:T=Σ _(i=1) ^(N) T _(i)  Equation 1:Y=Π _(i=1) ^(N) Y _(i)  Equation 2:

Numerous steps in conventional semiconductor lithography materialmodification processes are expensive and time consuming, and potentiallyintroduce defects into the desired pattern, lowering yield.Process-induced defects can be introduced by, for example, waferhandling, resist spin and heating, lithography, resist development,inspection, implantation and thermal processing.

SUMMARY

The present application discloses new approaches to systems, devices andmethods for precision modification of material on or in a substrateusing multiple miniature charged particle beam columns variouslyconfigurable to directly modify such materials without a pre-patternedresist layer.

In particular, the inventors have discovered that modification usingcharged particle beam columns can be significantly accelerated by usinglocal gas and/or photon injectors fixedly located with respect tocorresponding ones of the columns, and proximate, oriented towards andhaving line of sight to corresponding ones of the frames.

The inventors have also discovered that local photon detectors and gasdetectors, situated locally to and collecting data directly from beamtarget locations, can be used to monitor and provide feedback to controlof charged particle beam columns performing material modificationprocesses, including for example process endpoint detection.

Material modification can enable, improve or comprise, for example, ionimplantation (knock-on or directly implanting beam ions) and dual-tonephotoresist writing (writing both positive and negative resistsimultaneously).

Preferred embodiments of miniature column charged particle beam materialmodification include direct material modification, control andinspection processes that can work directly and automatically from theSAME design layout database. In some embodiments, these and otherprocesses can be implemented together within a single modular tool,allowing targeted modification of entire layers without breaking vacuum.

Direct material modification processes can be used to replaceconventional apply resist-expose resist-develop resist-modify materiallithography processes to eliminate numerous lithography steps, increasethroughput and dramatically increase yield.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed inventions will be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments and whichare incorporated in the specification hereof by reference, wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a charged particle beam column.

FIG. 2A shows an example of a wafer being scanned by multiple chargedparticle beams emitted by respective beam columns.

FIG. 2B shows an example of a wafer.

FIG. 2C shows an example of a prior art process for modifying materialon a substrate.

FIG. 3A shows an example of a direct material modification process.

FIG. 3B shows an example of a prior art material modification process.

FIG. 3C shows an example of a direct material modification process.

FIG. 4A shows an example of a direct material modification process usingknock-on implantation.

FIG. 4B shows an example of a direct material modification process usingdirect implantation.

FIG. 5A shows an example of a direct material modification process usedto etch pattern on a substrate.

FIG. 5B shows an example of a direct material modification process usedto etch pattern in a substrate.

FIG. 6A schematically shows an example of a local gas injector mountedon a charged particle beam column.

FIG. 6B schematically shows an example of a local gas detector mountedon a charged particle beam column.

FIG. 6C schematically shows an example of a gas injector with arotational ellipsoid kinetic lens.

FIG. 6D schematically shows an example of a gas injector with arotational ellipsoid kinetic lens.

FIG. 6E schematically shows an example of a gas injector with a kineticlens.

FIG. 7 schematically shows an example of a photon injector and a photondetector mounted on a charged particle beam column.

FIG. 8 schematically shows an example of a voltage bias applied betweena charged particle beam column and a substrate.

FIG. 9A schematically shows an example of the results of uniform-profilematerial modification.

FIG. 9B schematically shows an example of the results ofdifferentiated-profile material modification.

FIG. 10 schematically shows an example of a multiple column chargedparticle beam system

FIG. 11 schematically shows an example of a charged particle beamcluster tool.

FIG. 12 shows an example of a direct material modification process usedto deposit patterned material on a substrate

FIG. 13 schematically shows an example of a charged particle beamcolumn.

FIG. 14 shows an example of a process for dual tone charged particlebeam lithography.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will bedescribed with particular reference to presently preferred embodiments(by way of example, and not of limitation). The present applicationdescribes several inventions, and none of the statements below should betaken as limiting the claims generally.

The present application discloses new approaches to systems, devices andmethods for precision modification of material on or in a substrateusing multiple miniature charged particle beam columns variouslyconfigurable to directly modify such materials without a pre-patternedresist layer.

In particular, the inventors have discovered that modification usingcharged particle beam columns can be significantly accelerated by usinglocal gas and/or photon injectors fixedly located with respect tocorresponding ones of the columns, and proximate, oriented towards andhaving line of sight to corresponding ones of the frames.

The inventors have also discovered that local photon detectors and gasdetectors, situated locally to and collecting data directly from beamtarget locations, can be used to monitor and provide feedback to controlof charged particle beam columns performing material modificationprocesses, including for example process endpoint detection.

Material modification can enable, improve or comprise, for example, ionimplantation (knock-on or directly implanting beam ions) and dual-tonephotoresist writing (writing both positive and negative resistsimultaneously).

Preferred embodiments of miniature column charged particle beam materialmodification include direct material modification, control andinspection processes that can work directly and automatically from theSAME design layout database. In some embodiments, these and otherprocesses can be implemented together within a single modular tool,allowing targeted modification of entire layers without breaking vacuum.

Direct material modification processes can be used to replaceconventional apply resist-expose resist-develop resist-modify materiallithography processes to eliminate numerous lithography steps, increasethroughput and dramatically increase yield.

The disclosed innovations, in various embodiments, provide one or moreof at least the following advantages. However, not all of theseadvantages result from every one of the innovations disclosed, and thislist of advantages does not limit the various claimed inventions.

-   -   Enable rapidly patterning a material without resist and without        deposited hard mask;    -   enable rapidly modifying material in a pattern layer WITHOUT        PHOTOMASKS;    -   improve yield;    -   faster manufacture of semiconductor and other substrate devices;    -   lower cost of manufacture of semiconductor and other substrate        devices;    -   faster design to manufacturing process;    -   lower cost of design to manufacturing process;    -   faster per-layer patterning cycle;    -   lower cost of per-layer patterning cycle;    -   lower aggregate tool cost to pattern a substrate layer;    -   fewer tools required to pattern a substrate layer;    -   enhance patterning tool configurability;    -   decrease chemical usage of material in modification processes;    -   decrease environmental impact of material in modification        processes;    -   enable patterning, pattern inspection, defect identification and        pattern repair without breaking vacuum;    -   material modification is LOCALIZED to (and in some embodiments,        by) material affected by charged particle beams; and    -   fewer substrate transfers between process tools.

Some exemplary parameters will be given to illustrate the relationsbetween these and other parameters. However it will be understood by aperson of ordinary skill in the art that these values are merelyillustrative, and will be modified by scaling of further devicegenerations, and will be further modified to adapt to differentmaterials or architectures if used.

“Substrate” 604 is defined herein as a workpiece having a compositionand shape amenable to patterning and modification of one or more layersof material thereupon using techniques applicable to semiconductordevice fabrication, such that functional devices can be producedtherefrom.

As used herein, “writing” a substrate 604 refers to any process whichexpresses specified pattern in or on the substrate 604 (includingmaterial deposited on the substrate surface 606), expressed through anyphysical or chemical property of said substrate 604 or depositedmaterial. With respect to charged particle beams 204 targeted in directdependence on a design layout database, “writing” includes, for example,“material subtraction” as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/694,710, “material addition” as disclosed in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/745,463, “direct ALE” and “direct ALD” as disclosed in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/966,165, and “direct materialmodification”.

“Direct material modification” is defined herein as modification ofchemical or compositional properties of material on or in a substrate604 using one or more electrostatically-deflected charged particle beams204 targeted in direct dependence on a design layout database; saiddirect material modification comprising at least some such modificationlocalized to material directly affected by said beams 204, andcomprising at least some intended (not incidental) modification ofmaterial immediately following said direct affect by said beams 204.Modified material can comprise, for example, chemically, electrically,mechanically, thermally, optically, magnetically, fluidically,structurally or biologically functional material (such as semiconductorwafer or other substrate material), or hard mask, resist or otherprocess-related material.

The present application is directed to, for example, factory-integrateduse of systems comprising multiple miniature charged particle beamcolumns 206 to create nanometer-scale patterns on semiconductor wafers200 or other substrates 604. Arrays of heavily configurable, miniature,electrostatically-controlled columns 206 can be used to pattern wafers200 and other substrates 604 directly, without masks, without resist,and without previous lithographic steps. Such systems can be used toachieve massively parallel substrate processing and to reduce stagetravel per layer (or other cycle measure) of processing.

Embodiments disclosed herein enable precision processing of materialsand, in particular, targeted modification of materials common in theprocessing of semiconductor wafers 200 and other electrically,magnetically, optically, mechanically, chemically, or biologicallyactive substrates 604. Such substrates 604 can comprise, for example,workpieces used in fabrication and repair of light emitting diodes(LEDs), giant magnetic resonance (GMR) structures used in thin-filmheads, opto-electronic devices (OEDs) used for switching,micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) structures, photonicmetamaterials, and patterned substrates 604 used for chemical analysisand genetic sequencing.

For example, direct material modification can be performed using one ormore multi-column charged particle beam systems 1000 using ionimplantation (direct or knock-on implantation) or dual-tone lithography.These processes can be used alone, or in concert with other modificationtechniques or other substrate processing techniques. Direct materialmodification processes can be performed either sequentially orsimultaneously by multiple columns 206 in an array 1002, and differentcolumns 206 in an array 1002 can be configured and/or optimized toperform the same direct material modification (or other) process, ordifferent direct material modification processes (or other processes,e.g., inspection and metrology).

Direct material modification can create a layer of pattern specified bythe design layout database in its entirety or in a complementary fashionwith other patterning processes. For example, direct materialmodification can be used to prepare substrates for selective materialdeposition or etching; or to add to, subtract from or modify structuresproduced by optical lithography (or by other substrate processingtechniques); or to add new physical and/or compositional structures.

In preferred embodiments, the array 1002 of charged particle beamcolumns 206 is stationary, the stage holding the wafer 200 moves backand forth, and individual charged particle beam columns 206 move(deflect) the corresponding beam 204 across the wafer 200 to performdirect material modification.

Preferably, beam motion across the wafer 200 (or other substrate 604)comprises vector-raster scanning while writing on a substrate (e.g.,vector scanning to a registration mark, raster scanning the registrationmark, and then vector scanning to write each cut feature) orvector-raster scanning while imaging a substrate (e.g., vector scanningto a target feature or “care-area” containing a target feature, andraster scanning across the target feature). Preferably, each column 206has its own local (short communication path) control computer.Vector-raster scanning, care-areas, and use of multiple controlcomputers local to respective columns 206 are disclosed in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/085,768, which is incorporated herein byreference. (As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the arts ofcharged particle beam substrate processing, “care-areas” can be adaptedfor use as approximately minimally-sized regions containing targetlocations for irradiation for various purposes in addition to defectidentification.) These control methodologies enable areas of interest tobe irradiated, while efficiently avoiding areas where direct materialmodification (or other charged particle beam function) is not required.

Rapid pattern alignment and registration with superior accuracy (e.g.,for minimizing pattern overlay error) can be achieved using imagingtargets generated using Hadamard and/or Walsh functions as disclosed in,for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/522,563, which isincorporated herein by reference.

High beam current can be maintained by minimizing charged-particlecrossovers in the columns 206, reducing current-limiting Coulombeffects.

The design layout database is preferably partitioned to designate whichcolumn 206 will perform the work for the corresponding substrate writingarea. Preferably, writing areas have the same size as column-to-columnspacing 210.

In preferred embodiments, different columns 206 can perform directmaterial modification (and/or other processes, such as imaging,depending on configuration) on a patterned or unpatterned substrate 604differently and independently, with beam deflection parametersdetermining targeted beam landing position based directly (thoughgenerally not only; e.g., tool parameter settings are also typicallyused, and identified areas of interest can be considered, as mentionedabove) on a previously-partitioned design layout database used byvarious column functions (e.g., both material modification andinspection functions). Use of multiple columns 206 to independently andsimultaneously write and/or image a substrate 604, both based directlyon the same previously-partitioned design layout database, is disclosedin, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,999,627, which is incorporated hereinby reference.

As used herein, sets of multiple beam columns being “substantially thesame” means that the sets of multiple beam columns comprise arrays ofmultiple miniature, electrostatically-driven columns with identicalcolumn-to-column spacing, and identical type of beam deflection(electrostatic) and of focus mechanisms.

For stages, “substantially the same” means identical or nearly identicalwith respect to substrate-stage alignment mechanisms, stage positioningmechanisms, stage position accuracy, and control electronics andsoftware. “Nearly” identical means that the variations can include, forexample, year-to-year improvements in design or manufacturingtechniques, or incremental improvements or optimizations to a design,which can result in two stages being “substantially the same” but notidentical. However, major changes in design approach will breaksubstantial sameness.

As used herein, “matched” columns 206 means that columns 206 are“substantially the same”, and stages are “substantially the same”.Generally, different matched columns 206 are able to processcorresponding different writing areas of a substrate 604 similarly(preferably, nearly identically); and different arrays of matchedcolumns 206, irradiating different substrates carried by differentstages that are substantially the same, are able to process thedifferent substrates 604 similarly (preferably, nearly identically).Embodiments disclosed herein preferably use matched columns 206.

Fully automated beam targeting based directly on a design layoutdatabase is preferred. Beam targeting “based directly on a design layoutdatabase” is defined to mean that during patterning, local columncontrollers automatically access portions of the design layout databaserelevant to corresponding writing areas and interpret the design layoutdatabase directly into beam column control instructions for immediateuse specifying beam deflection, beam dwell timing, beam blanking timing,beam shape and/or beam landing energy.

Columns 206 can be configured such that different columns 206 usedifferent physical and chemical processes for direct materialmodification.

Beam column parameters and other parameters can be independently andautomatically optimized per-column based on automatically analyzedimages taken of direct material modification results. Automatic imageanalysis and column parameter optimization are disclosed in, forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 8,999,628, which is incorporated herein byreference.

One of ordinary skill in the arts of charged particle beam materialmodification will recognize that a wide variety of other control optionsare available per-column 206.

Preferably, photon injectors 104 and detectors 108, and gas injectors102 and detectors 106, as described below are “miniature”; that is, theyare small enough to position (preferably, fixedly) at or near the bottomof a column 206 (preferably, attach to the column 206 and/or threadthrough its casing) whichever of said injectors and detectors 102, 104,106, 108 are required by the embodiment, such that the injector ordetector 102, 104, 106, 108 (and particularly the corresponding emitteror collector portion thereof) is located to permit function as describedherein.

FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a charged particle beam column206 configured for material modification. Preferably, an array 1002 ofsuch columns 206 (which can be individually customized to the particularprocesses to be respectively executed) is used to perform directmaterial modification (as disclosed with respect to, e.g., FIGS. 3A, 3Cthrough 5B, and 10).

As used herein with respect to a gas or photon injector or detector 102,104, 106, 108, “local” (also “Local” and “LOCAL”) is defined as: mountedin a fixed position with respect to a corresponding one of multiplecolumns 206, the active emitting or collecting component(s) of saidinjector or detector 102, 104, 106, 108 having line of sight to andoriented towards the main-field deflection area 610, said activecomponent(s) at least partially contained within the perimeter of thecolumn 206.

An active emitting or collecting component(s) is the optical lens, gasinflow or outflow opening, or kinetic lens 602 that for the respectivelocal injector or detector 102, 104, 106, 108 last emits gas particlesor photons towards, or first collects gas particles or photons from, thecorresponding main-field deflection area 610. Preferably, said activecomponent(s) is as close as practical to the center of the column's 206primary axis and to the substrate surface 606 without impacting thesubstrate surface 606, and without compromising column function (e.g.,electrical characteristics of the column 206) or the focus area of theactive component(s). Greater proximity is preferred, for example, topreserve collimation or focus, and for gas and photon collectioneffectiveness, selectivity and efficiency.

Except where stated otherwise, gas and photon injectors 102, 104 anddetectors 106, 108 described with respect to the various embodimentsdisclosed herein are local. Direct material modification using multipleminiature charged particle beam columns 206 is enabled by the use ofLOCAL gas and/or photon injectors and/or detectors 102, 104, 106, 108 asdisclosed herein.

Local gas injectors 102 and/or local photon injectors 104 can be used togreatly increase rates of charged particle beam direct materialmodification processes such as ion implantation or cross-linking anddissociation; in some embodiments, sufficiently to provide throughputcompatible with in-line fabrication processes. Further, as discussedwith respect to, e.g., FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, preferred embodimentsprovide significant yield advantages.

Local photon detectors 108 enable real time detection of spatiallylocalized processes: generally, localized per-column 206 to individualframes 610. Features can be modified to the correct geometries, e.g.,neither shallower nor deeper than desired.

FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a charged particle beam column206 configured for material modification, comprising: a charged particlebeam gun 110 (an ion gun or electron beam gun, respectively), includinga charged particle source (an ion or electron source, respectively),aperture and electrostatic lens; a deflection assembly 112 for blankingthe charged particle beam 204, deflecting the charged particle beamtrajectory, and/or modifying the charged particle beam shape (blanking,deflecting or reshaping the ion or electron beam 204, respectively); amain lens 114, for focusing the charged particle beam (ion or electronbeam 204) or adjusting the beam size at the substrate plane; one or morelocal gas injectors 102, for increasing partial pressure ofprocess-critical gasses (e.g., gasses providing ions for knock-on),creating oxidizing or reducing environments, or for creating other oradditional advantageous chemical environments within the main-fielddeflection area 610; one or more local photon injectors 104; a local gasdetector 106; one or more local photon detectors 108; and an electrondetector 116, e.g., to detect secondary electrons or ions, and/orbackscattered electrons or ions for CD metrology or overlay andlocalized process monitoring.

Preferably, configuration of individual columns 206 (e.g., in an array1002, whether and which of, e.g., local injectors and/or detectors 102,104, 106, 108 are assembled onto individual columns 206 in the array1002) can be altered based on the particular intended application.

Direct material modification can comprise one or more of (for example)ion implantation or electron-induced cross-linking or dissociation ofpolymers. Material modification, including direct material modification,can be used to modify various material bulk or surface properties.

A local gas injector 102 can be used to increase the partial pressure ofprocess gasses within a main-field deflection area 610 significantly(e.g., by multiple orders of magnitude) relative to the average ambientpressure in the vacuum chamber, while having minimal effect on processgas concentration at other main-field deflection areas 610(corresponding to other columns 206). A kinetic lens 602 (furtherdescribed below with respect to, e.g., FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D and 6E)connected to a local gas injector 102 to collimate or focus the gasinjector's 102 output on an area of the substrate surface containing themain-field deflection area 610 of a corresponding column 206 furthersignificantly raises consistently achievable partial pressures (in someembodiments, by multiple orders of magnitude). These large increases inpartial pressures of advantageous gasses in a main-field deflection area610—and thus, at the corresponding charged particle beam impactlocation—can significantly raise the direct material modificationprocess rate (in some embodiments, by multiple orders of magnitude).

Generally, gas flow rate can be calculated ahead of time and depends onseveral parameters, including the particular process to be used (and itsrequired and/or desired chemistry), local temperature (which can becontrolled to be substantially constant, within an acceptable rangedepending on the particular process), the design layout database, andcharged particle beam current (which can be constant). If necessary,changes to gas flow parameters during a material modification processcan be made based on feedback from local detectors.

In a preferred embodiment, gas flow rate is kept above a pre-determinedthreshold such that supply of gas precursors is not limiting.

A local photon injector 104 is preferably a light source opticallyconnected by an optical fiber to a lens.

Local photon injectors 104 emitting infrared (IR) photons can be used toprecisely raise the temperature of the substrate at the beam impactlocation to optimize temperature conditions for the correspondingcharged particle beam modification process without overheating thesubstrate as a whole. This generally allows a higher temperature at theframe than would be desirable for the entire substrate, and allows IRphoton flux to be maintained at levels that increase the rate ofadsorption, but are below levels that induce spontaneous etching (insome embodiments, orders of magnitude greater IR photon flux than coulddesirably be obtained using blanket illumination).

Preferably, the lens focuses the IR photons on a minimal area containingthe main-field deflection area 610. In some embodiments, temperatureoptimization can be used to increase substrate surface materialadsorption rate of process gasses (higher process-critical gasadsorption rate typically correlates to shorter cycle times for directmaterial modification processes using gas injection); or to modifyresultant material surface properties (e.g., surface texture). Usingtemperature measured within a known small area containing the beamimpact location (e.g., a minimal area containing the main-fielddeflection area 610), preferably using a local photon detector 108,temperature at the beam impact location can be approximated. In someembodiments (e.g., embodiments limited by substrate surface adsorptionrate of process-critical gasses), by optimizing said temperatureconditions, direct material modification process cycle times can besignificantly reduced.

Desired local temperatures for individual columns 206 can be determinedprior to starting a direct material modification process, depending on,for example, the design layout database and characteristics of theparticular process(es) to be used. Feedback from local temperaturemeasurement can then be used to control brightness and othercharacteristics (e.g., pulse rate, pulse duration) of the photoninjector 102 to precisely control the local temperature of the substrate604.

Local photon injectors 104 can also be used to shine photons, withwavelength(s) appropriate to one or more substrate surface materials (oradsorbed process gasses), on the main-field deflection area 610 tomodulate surface reaction rates; certain types of direct materialmodification processes can be further accelerated by exciting substratesurface material (or adsorbed process gasses) electrons to a higherenergy state. UV photon energies can be matched to the bond energies ofreactant species. For example, deep UV is characteristic forphotochemistry of various materials. Local UV photon injectors canprovide illumination intensity near a reaction site that is orders ofmagnitude greater than could be desirably obtained by blanketillumination of the vacuum chamber surrounding a column array 1002.

Local photon injectors 104 can also be used to shine photons on thesubstrate surface material to perform various analyses (processmonitoring) of substrate surface material, e.g., polarimetry,reflectometry and/or interferometry. For example, the intensity ofreflected injected photons depends on changes in the optical constantsof a material modified by ion implantation. Preferably, a local photondetector 108 is arranged to collect as many of the reflected photons aspossible to optimize the efficacy of such analyses, as shown in FIG. 7.Such photons can generally be of any wavelength, within limits set byavailable optics and other physical properties.

Endpoint detection refers herein to using detectors to determine when adirect material modification process (bulk and/or surface materialproperty modification) has been completed for a particular frame 610(e.g., when a desired dopant concentration has been reached). As anongoing direct material modification process modifies bulk or surfacesubstrate properties, the properties of the modified materialincreasingly influence measurements of substrate surface 606 properties.Substrate surface 606 material properties (e.g., interferometryresults), and rates of change and higher-order derivatives of indicatedproperties, can be used to accurately determine and/or predict processendpoints.

Process monitoring refers herein to analysis of detected materialproperties to determine process accuracy and/or produce processperformance metrics. Process monitoring can be used to provide processfeedback (e.g., to local control computers) that enables processadjustments (e.g., precursor gas flow or beam parameter adjustments, orautomatic design layout database modification). Process feedback canoccur during, and/or resulting process adjustments can be made for, theframe 610 in which corresponding photons or gas particles werecollected, or one or more subsequent frames 610, or one or moresubsequent processing cycles (e.g., for a subsequent layer, or for asubsequent substrate).

Local gas detectors 106 can be used for process monitoring, e.g., tomonitor localized gas composition.

Local photon detectors 108 can be used to detect photons reflected oremitted from the substrate surface 606 near the beam impact location.Detected photons can be used to perform, for example, polarimetry,reflectometry, interferometry, or optical emission spectroscopy onsubstrate surface material. Substrate surface material propertiesindicated by such measurements generally include polarization,reflectivity, optical interference, temperature and materialcomposition. Substrate surface material properties, and rates of changeand higher-order derivatives of indicated properties, can be used todetermine process endpoints, monitor process reaction rates, to monitorthe temperature at (or in the vicinity of) the corresponding chargedparticle beam target impact location, to determine material modificationrate, and for other process monitoring analyses.

Different columns 206 can be configured and/or optimized to performdifferent (or multiple) types of direct material modification processesor other material processing, e.g., some columns 206 can be configuredto perform direct material modification, while other columns 206 areconfigured to perform imaging (e.g., for alignment, registration and/orwafer inspection). The wide range of per-column 206 configurabilitydisclosed herein means that beam columns 206 can be adapted to andoptimized for a wide variety of substrate processing applications.

FIG. 3A shows an example of a direct material modification process 300WITHOUT A PRE-PATTERNED RESIST LAYER (some such processes can comprisemodifying a resist layer). A design layout database is used to designatewhere and how material will be modified 302 in and on a substrate 604. Amultibeam module 304 (e.g., a charged particle beam system 1000 orcharged particle beam module 1102) is then used to perform directmaterial modification (e.g., ion implantation) to directly modifymaterial in a pattern designated by the design layout database, usinglocal gas and/or photon injectors 102, 104, and/or local gas and/orphoton detectors 106, 108 in step 306. Example results of a directmaterial modification process 300 using (knock-on or direct) ionimplantation are also shown in FIG. 3A (uniform-profile 902 dopedregions are shown; differentiated-profile 904 doped regions can also beproduced).

The direct material modification process embodiment(s) shown in FIG. 3Adramatically reduces the number of steps required for precise, patternedsubstrate (body or surface) material modification—and, concomitantly,removes a wide variety of collateral sources of process-induced error,such as a large number of transitions between process tools—with respectto the prior art process embodiment(s) shown in FIG. 2C. See Equations 1and 2. Consequently, manufacturing cycle time can be reduced and deviceyield can be increased using direct material modification with localinjectors and detectors 102, 104, 106, 108 as disclosed herein.

FIG. 3B shows an example of a prior art substrate material modificationprocess (see FIG. 2C). FIG. 3C shows an example of a direct materialmodification process (see FIG. 3A).

Comparison between the prior art embodiment(s) of FIG. 3B and theinnovative embodiment(s) of FIG. 3C helps to clarify the dramaticprocess simplification, and improvement in efficiency and yieldpotential, achieved by using multiple (preferably a large array 1002 of)miniature electrostatically-controlled charged particle beam columns206, together with corresponding local gas and photon injectors anddetectors 102, 104, 106, 108, to perform material modification.

Simultaneous, independent control of multiple charged particle beams andlocal gas injectors (and preferably local IR and/or UV photon injectors)allows a high degree of process control, e.g., deliberate intra-waferand intra-die variation (including per-pass variation).

FIG. 4A shows an example of a direct material modification process usingknock-on implantation. In knock-on implantation embodiments as shown inFIG. 4A, ions to be implanted (in FIG. 4A, potassium ions) areintroduced 402 by one or more local gas injectors 102, and becomeavailable 404 at the substrate surface 606 through dissociativeadsorption of one or more dopant species components of the injected gas.A charged particle beam 204, preferably an ion beam, “knocks” dopantions 406 into 408 the substrate 404 using energetic impact, withimplantation depths depending on beam energy (FIGS. 4A and 4B are forillustration only and generally do not reflect actual implantationdepths).

FIG. 4B shows an example of a direct material modification process usingdirect implantation. In direct implantation embodiments as shown in FIG.4B, ion beams 410 can themselves comprise the dopant source, the dopantbeing implanted through energetic impact. Direct implantation can beused, for example, for highly-localized implantation of transistorchannels, with dopant profile (e.g., depth, geometry, dose, andlocation) specified directly by a design layout database. For example,Ge atoms 412 (comprising ion beam 410) can be implanted 414 in Sichannels 416 to induce stress to increase carrier mobility and devicespeed.

Using an array of charged particle beams targeted in direct dependenceon a design layout database, ions can be implanted using knock-onimplantation or direct implantation LOCALLY, to selected depths, inselected geometries, with selected dopant doses, in targeted locations,to rapidly pattern a substrate with doped structures, such astransistors, a hard mask (etch-resistant) or etch-sensitive region, orother structure at depths accessible at available beam energies (whichcan be increased by substrate biasing, see FIG. 8). Local implantationallows for controlled variation of ion implantation dose.

In some embodiments, temperature (and thus, indirectly, diffusion rates)can be monitored using local photon detectors.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show examples of direct material modification processesused to etch pattern in a material WITHOUT A RESIST LAYER. A designlayout database is used to directly target where and how material willbe modified on or in a substrate. Material modification, using local gasand/or photon injectors and/or detectors, can be used to directly modifyetch selectivity of material on or in a substrate 320.

FIG. 5A shows an example of a direct material modification process usedto etch pattern in a material on a substrate WITHOUT A RESIST LAYER. Atarget material 502 is blanket-deposited on the substrate 604 in step504 (or an etch target material may already be present on the substrate604, e.g., a device to be removed or repaired, or the substrate 604itself can be used as the target material 502). The design layoutdatabase is then accessed 302, and ion implantation (preferably direct,though in some embodiments knock-on implantation can also be used),targeted in direct dependence on the design layout database, is used todope the target material to create a hard mask 506 in the design layoutdatabase-designated pattern 508. An etch tool is then used to blanketetch the substrate 510, etching only the unmodified target material 502,to express in the target material 502 the negative of the patternexpressed in the hard mask 506.

FIG. 5B shows an example of a direct material modification process usedto etch pattern in a substrate WITHOUT A RESIST LAYER. The design layoutdatabase is accessed 302, and ion implantation (preferably direct,though in some embodiments knock-on implantation can also be used),targeted in direct dependence on the design layout database, is used todope the target material (as shown in FIG. 5B, the substrate 604) tocreate etch-sensitive regions 512 in the design layoutdatabase-designated pattern 514. An etch tool is then used to blanketetch the substrate 516 to express the pattern 518.

FIG. 6A schematically shows an example of a local gas injector 102mounted on a charged particle beam column 206. The gas injectorpreferably 102 includes a kinetic lens 602, comprising a smooth rigidbody (preferably made of metal), to increase the partial pressure of gasat the focal point of the kinetic lens 602 on the substrate 604 surface606 by focusing or collimating the gas particle flow from the gasinjector outflow opening 608. Various designs of kinetic lens 602 arepossible; the example shown in FIG. 6A is a cylindrical kinetic lens602.

The gas injector 102 is connected to one or more gas sources, comprisingthe gas(ses) to be injected by the gas injector 102 to create or assistin creating a desired chemical environment at the main-field deflectionarea 610 on the surface of the substrate 606. Multiple gas injectors102, injecting the same or different gasses, can be used.

Preferably, one or more local gas injectors 102 are configured to injecta reactive gas (appropriate to the particular direct materialmodification process) per column 206 performing direct materialmodification. Local gas injectors 102 are preferably mounted on or nearthe bottom of corresponding columns 206, as close to correspondingmain-field deflection areas 610 as possible. (A main-field deflectionarea 610 is generally in a fixed position relative to the correspondingcolumn 206, and moves across the substrate's surface 606 as the stagemoves).

Gas flow from a local gas injector 102 is preferably limited to themolecular flow regime (not viscous flow) to enable proper function of akinetic lens 602 connected to the gas injector outflow opening 608. (Ifthe gas flow is in a viscous flow regime, the kinetic lens 602 willgenerally not function as a lens.) In the molecular flow regime(“molecular flow”), the mean free path for gas particles (atoms ormolecules of the gas) is large compared to a characteristic dimension ofthe local gas injector 102 or detector 106 (e.g., the path taken by gasparticles between the substrate surface 606 and the gas outflow orinflow opening 608, 614). This makes it much more likely that gasparticles will collide 612 with the side of the lens 602, or (for a gasinjector 102) the substrate surface 606, or (for a gas detector 106)enter the gas inflow opening 614, before hitting another gas particle.

A “kinetic lens” 602 is an arrangement of one or more smooth and rigid,flat and/or curved surfaces configured to reflect gas particles, fixedin position with respect to a corresponding gas injector outflow opening608 or gas detector inflow opening 614; such that (for a gas injector)gas particles originating at a gas injector outflow opening whichintersect 612 with the kinetic lens 602 are collimated or redirected(e.g., focused) towards the corresponding main-field deflection area610; and such that (for a gas detector 106) gas particles originating atthe beam impact location (or the main-field deflection area 610) whichintersect 612 with the kinetic lens 602 are redirected (e.g., focused)towards the gas detector inflow opening 614. (Generally, surfaces of akinetic lens 602 can be thought of as similar to optical mirrors, butfor gas particles.) Various designs of kinetic lens 602 can be used(see, for example, FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D and 6E).

Preferably, kinetic lens 602 surfaces are arranged so that they do notprevent particles (atoms or molecules) of outflow gas within the kineticlens 602 from reaching the substrate surface 606; and do not preventparticles of inflow gas within the kinetic lens 602, originating fromthe main-field deflection area 610 of the corresponding column 206, fromreaching the inflow opening 614.

A kinetic lens 602 can be used to improve localization to the main-fielddeflection area 610 of increased partial pressure of an injected gas. Akinetic lens 602 can also be used to increase specificity and collectionrate for a gas detector 106. “Specificity”, as used herein, refers tothe selectiveness of a gas detector 106 corresponding to a column 206for material that originated within a corresponding frame 610 and notfrom, e.g., the frame 610 of another column 206.

FIG. 6B schematically shows an example of a local gas detector 106mounted on a charged particle beam column 206. Preferably, a local gasdetector 106 comprises a gas inflow opening 614 connected to a kineticlens 602 configured to redirect gas particles intersecting 712 thekinetic lens 602 into the gas inflow opening 614. The gas inflow opening614 is connected to a secondary ion mass spectrometer configured toanalyze incoming gas particles and perform process monitoring (e.g.,detecting ablated material or monitoring partial pressure of injectedgas) and provide control feedback using said analysis.

FIG. 6C schematically shows an example of a gas injector 102 with arotational ellipsoid kinetic lens 602.

FIG. 6D schematically shows an example of a gas detector 106 with arotational ellipsoid kinetic lens 602.

A kinetic lens 602 is preferably shaped as a (truncated) rotationalellipsoid (an ellipsoidal reflector, with two equal minor axes and alonger major axis). Advantageously, gas particles which originate at onemajor axis focus and which intersect the kinetic lens 602 surface arereflected towards and converge at the other major axis focus.Preferably, one major axis focus of the rotational ellipsoid is locatedat the main-field deflection area 610 on the substrate surface, and theother major axis focus is located at the gas outflow or inflow opening608, 614 (which can be modeled as a point source or point sink,respectively, for this purpose).

Preferred embodiments using gas injectors 102 use rotational ellipsoidkinetic lenses 602 configured such that gas particles originating at thegas injector outflow opening 608 that intersect 612 the kinetic lenssurface 602 are reflected towards the main-field deflection area 610,increasing partial pressure of the gas in the frame 610.

Preferred embodiments using gas detectors 106 use rotational ellipsoidkinetic lenses 602 configured such that gas particles originating in themain-field deflection area 610 are reflected towards the gas detectorinflow opening 614, significantly improving gas detector 106 collectionefficiency and specificity (thus improving, e.g., sensitivity and signalto noise ratio of gas spectrometer measurement and analysis).

FIG. 6E shows an example of a gas injector 102 or gas detector 106 witha kinetic lens 602. Approximations of a rotational ellipsoid can be madeusing flat and/or curved surfaces configured to reflect (at least sometrajectories of) gas particles originating at one (approximate) focustowards the other (approximate) focus.

FIG. 7 schematically shows an example of a photon injector 104 and aphoton detector 108 mounted on a charged particle beam column 206.Preferably, a photon injector 104 comprises a light source opticallyconnected by an optical fiber to a (cylindrical) rod lens focused on themain-field deflection area 610; and a photon detector 108 comprises alight sensor optically connected by an optical fiber to a rod lensfocused on the main-field deflection area 610.

Photon injectors 104 and photon detectors 108 can be used as discussedabove. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a photon injector 104 and photondetector 108 pair can be arranged so that photons emitted by a photoninjector 104 are reflected off the substrate 604 and collected by thepaired photon detector 108. The photon injector 104 used for thispurpose can be used specifically to provide photons for the photondetector 108 to perform, e.g., polarimetry, reflectometry,interferometry or optical emission spectroscopy. Alternatively, thephoton injector 104 may be dual-purpose, e.g., the detected photons maybe IR photons emitted by the photon injector 104 for temperaturecontrol, or photons emitted to excite substrate surface materialelectrons or adsorbed material electrons to facilitate a desiredsubstrate surface chemistry, or to perform highly localizedphoton-induced dissociation.

Injected photons can also be pulsed, e.g., to enable local temperaturemeasurement, or optical emission spectroscopy of photons emitted bysubstrate surface material, in between pulses.

A cooled substrate 1004 (e.g., indirectly cooled by the chuck) can alsobe used to assist in increasing the adsorption rate of reactant andother process-critical gases on the substrate 604, and/or to keep theaverage temperature of the substrate approximately constant at adesignated temperature (and that temperature can be modified locally byphoton injectors 104). The average temperature of the substrate 604 canbe monitored and controlled by a substrate temperature control 702.

FIG. 8 schematically shows an example of a voltage bias 802 appliedbetween a charged particle beam column 206 and a substrate 604 to createhighly localized control of charged particle impact over a wide range ofenergies.

Substrate electrical bias 802 can be used, along with control of beamenergy at each column 206, to optimize the efficiency ofcharged-particle induced chemistry and/or physical effects. Preferably,beam energy is constant (or changes slowly and/or rarely). As thedesired substrate surface chemistry changes (which can include, forexample, a gas injector output changing), the electrical bias 802 of thesubstrate can be changed so that the total landing energy of anindividual charged particle beam 204 (including energy contributed bythe substrate electrical bias 802) is (or is significantly closer to)the landing energy that will optimize the rate and/or efficiency of thedesired reaction(s), e.g., dissociation of adsorbed reactive(modification process) gas(ses).

FIG. 9A schematically shows an example of the results of uniform-profiledirect material modification (e.g., ion implantation), includinguniform-depth doping profiles 902.

FIG. 9B schematically shows an example of the results of differentiatedmaterial modification profiles, including differentiated-depth featuresor differentiated concentrations of dopants 904. Columns 206 can beconfigured independently to process material simultaneously butdifferently; e.g., to write different patterns to different depthsand/or concentrations at different rates using different beam andinjection parameters. Since columns 206 are controlled independently,they can be used to create local variations in material modificationprofiles. Differentiated-profile direct material modification can beachieved by varying, for example, charged particle beam landing energy,exposure time, dose, local reactant partial pressure, or local reactantchemistry beneath a charged particle beam column 206 as the targetedbeam position is moved.

FIG. 10 schematically shows an example of a multiple column chargedparticle beam system 1000. An appropriately configured multi-columncharged particle beam system 1000 can be used for highly localizedmaterial modification using, for example, ion implantation, chargedparticle-induced cross-linking or dissociation of polymers, or ionimpact-induced ablation. The system shown in FIG. 8 includes an array1002 of miniature charged particle beam columns 206, a substrate stagewith chuck 1004, a wafer loading and unloading mechanism 1006, controlelectronics, a vacuum system, an alignment system, vibration isolationand magnetic shielding. Depending on (for example) the particular directmaterial modification application intended, a multi-column chargedparticle beam system 1000 preferably also includes one or more of localgas injectors 102, local photon injectors 104, local gas detectors 106and local photon detectors 108.

FIG. 11 schematically shows an example of a charged particle beamcluster tool 1100. A charged particle beam cluster tool 1100 comprisesmultiple charged particle beam modules 1102. An individual chargedparticle beam module 1102 comprises an array 1002 of charged particlebeam columns 206 in ultra high vacuum, as well as a wafer stage 1004 andalignment mechanism. Individual modules 1102, and/or individual columns206 within a module 1102, can be configured to specialize in aparticular type of charged particle beam substrate processing. Forexample, one module 1102 can be configured for direct materialmodification using ion implantation, while a second module 1102 isconfigured for direct material modification using electron beam-inducedpolymer dissociation. In another example, some columns 206 in a module1102 can be configured to perform electron beam-assisted direct materialmodification while other columns 206 in that module 1102 are configuredand optimized for substrate inspection using electron beam imaging.

In addition to process modules 1102, a cluster tool 1100 generally alsocomprises a substrate handling system 1104, a substrateloading/unloading system 1106 and a factory interface. Within a clustertool 1100, a wafer transport system 1108 delivers wafers to one ormore—in some embodiments, all (e.g., sequentially)—of the tool's processmodules 1102, and can also perform in-vacuum pre-alignment. Othersub-systems necessary for charged particle beam control, gas injection,and substrate processing are not depicted (e.g. control electronics,vacuum systems, alignment systems, vibration isolation, magneticshielding and gas injection flow control and measurement).

FIG. 12 shows an example of a direct material modification process usedto deposit patterned material on a substrate WITHOUT A RESIST LAYER.

“Atomic layer deposition” (“ALD”) is a technique for depositingatomically-thin (typically a few atoms, e.g., 2 or 3 atomrs, thick)layers of material using reactive gasses (typically two differentreactants A and B that react in an ABAB binary reaction sequence) asdeposition precursors and sequential reaction steps that areself-limiting (i.e., the details of the process limit deposition to asingle layer of adsorbed reactive gas particles at a time).

Patterned ALD can be performed as disclosed in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/966,165, using local injectors 102 to inject depositionprecursors. For example, a first species is injected and reacts with asurface layer of a material to form a half-reaction-cycle layer byadsorption of the first species (reaction A). A second species is theninjected and reacts with the first species to form a desired depositionlayer (reaction B). Columns 206 comprising a charged particle beamcolumn array 1002 can be individually controlled to provide ion orelectron beam 204 energy for reaction B only in locations designated bythe design layout database, thus adding one or more highly conformallayers deposited only in the targeted locations. Reaction A steps andperformed, then reaction B steps are performed (i.e., without overlap),to avoid (or minimize) random deposition.

As shown in FIG. 12, a design layout database is used to designate 302where and how material will be deposited on a substrate surface 606.Patterned ALD can then be performed (preferably, in direct dependence onthe design layout database) using charged particle beams 204 andcorresponding local gas injectors 102 (and in some embodiments otherlocal photon injectors 104 and/or local gas detectors 106 or photondetectors 108) in step 1202 to deposit a patterned layer 1204.

The first and second species, and a process material 1206 intended to bedeposited in a pattern designated by the design layout database, can beselected such that the patterned ALD-deposited layer(s) 1204 comprisesone or more deposition-selective regions on the substrate surface 606.“Deposition-selective” is defined to mean that the process material 1206either (1) will be deposited in locations where a deposition-selectivelayer 1204 has been formed but not on underlying material 1208; or (2)will not be deposited in locations where a deposition-selective layer1204 has been formed but will be deposited on underlying material 1208.

Following deposition by ALD 1202 of one or more deposition-selectivelayers 1204, the process material 1206 can be blanket-deposited,resulting either in selective growth on the deposition-selective region1204 and not the underlying material 1208 in step 1210; or in selectivegrowth on the underlying material 1208 and not the deposition-selectiveregion 1204 in step 1212. This expresses (in a positive or negativesense) in the process material 1206 the pattern expressed in theALD-deposited layer(s) 1204. Patterned ALD's advantages in yield rateand cycle time can thus be conferred on bulk material deposition.

FIG. 13 schematically shows an example of a charged particle beam column206 configured for non-reactive direct material modification,comprising: a charged particle beam gun 110 (an ion gun or electron beamgun, respectively), including a charged particle source (an ion orelectron source, respectively), aperture and electrostatic lens; adeflection assembly 112 for blanking the charged particle beam 204,deflecting the charged particle beam trajectory, and/or modifying thecharged particle beam shape (blanking, deflecting or reshaping the ionor electron beam 204, respectively); a main lens 114, for focusing thecharged particle beam 204 (ion or electron beam) or adjusting the beamsize at the substrate plane; one or more local photon injectors 104; oneor more local photon detectors 108; and an electron detector 116.

As will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the arts of chargedparticle beam material modification, focus areas (as described in thisapplication) of gas and photon injectors and detectors 102, 104, 106,108 (typically, the main-field deflection area 710) are approximate;that is, they comprise the described area, within (plus or minus) therange or error allowed by the particular process (and/or application)performed by the corresponding column 206, such that the desiredfunction, effect and/or accuracy of that process (and/or application)are preserved.

FIG. 14 shows an example of a process for dual tone charged particlebeam lithography. A charged particle beam 204 will cause exposedportions 1402 of a dual tone resist 1404 to become soluble or insolublein corresponding developer(s) depending on the energy level of the beam204; generally, two different developers to address both “tones” for adual tone resist 1404 that can be exposed to perform dual tonepatterning without immediate dissociative ablation 1406. Some resists(e.g. any positive resist) exhibit dissociative ablation 1406 at highimpact energy (negative tone) and polymer cross-linking at low impactenergy (positive tone), allowing dual tone patterning to be performedfor resists that do not allow dual tone patterning without immediatedissociative ablation 1406. Ablated material 1408 can be detected bylocal gas detectors 104. Ablated portions 1410 of the resist can bedetected using, e.g., local photon detectors 108.

By using multiple charged particle beams targeted in direct dependenceon a design layout database, highly-localized, simultaneous positive andnegative tone patterning of resist can be performed. This is enabled bythe ability to individually control beam landing energies for various(or each of the) columns.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for targeted knock-on implantation using multiplecharged particle beam columns, individual columns projecting individualcharged particle beams at the substrate, comprising the actions of: a)injecting at least one gas, using local gas injectors, onto multipledifferent frames corresponding to multiple different ones of the beams,said gas selected such that a dopant species component of said gas willbe adsorbed on the substrate surface; and b) scanning said frames usingsaid corresponding beams, locations targeted by said beams in dependenceon the design layout database, wherein a beam energy of saidcorresponding beams is selected to implant particles of said adsorbedgas impacted by particles of said beams to a selected substrate surfacedepth range.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for targeted ion implantation using multiple ion beamcolumns, individual columns projecting individual ion beams at thesubstrate, comprising the actions of: targeting locations on thesubstrate surface with the beams in direct dependence on the designlayout database, a beam energy of the beams selected to implant ionscomprising the beams to a selected depth range in the substrate surface,ones of the ion beams comprising a selected dopant species; wherein saidtargeting is performed differently and simultaneously by different onesof said columns.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for charged particle beam lithography using multiplecharged particle beam columns, individual columns projecting individualcharged particle beams at the substrate, comprising the actions of:writing multiple features on a dual-tone resist on the substrate usingthe beams, at least one of the beams using a beam energy selected towrite said features by cross-linking bonds in said resist, and at leastone of the beams using a beam energy selected to write said features bydissociating bonds in said resist; wherein said cross-linking modifies asolubility of said resist in a developer, and said dissociating modifiessaid solubility and/or ablates said resist; and wherein the beamsperform said cross-linking and said dissociating differently andsimultaneously.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A charged particle beam patterning tool, comprising: multiplecharged particle beam columns, individual ones of said columnsconfigured to produce an individual charged particle beam, differentones of said columns having different writing areas, at least one ofsaid columns configured to produce a beam with a beam energy selected tocross-link bonds in a dual-tone resist, and at least one of the columnsconfigured to produce a beam with a beam energy selected to dissociatebonds in said resist; and one or more column controllers storinginstructions in a computer-readable nontransitory medium that, whenexecuted, direct said controllers to control said cross-linking columnsand said dissociating columns to differently and simultaneously writemultiple features on the substrate.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for charged particle beam patterning using multiplecharged particle beam columns, individual columns projecting individualcharged particle beams at the substrate, comprising the actions of: a)serially injecting, using multiple local gas injectors, an initial gasand then another gas onto multiple frames corresponding to multipledifferent ones of the beams, said initial gas selected to be adsorbed bythe substrate, said another gas selected to react with said initialadsorbed gas to form a deposited layer; b) scanning the frames usingsaid corresponding beams, locations being targeted by said correspondingbeams in dependence on the design layout database, wherein a beam energyof said beams is selected to provide the energy for said adsorptionand/or said reaction; and c) blanket depositing a material on thesubstrate surface; wherein said initial gas, said another gas and saidmaterial are selected such that said deposited layer isdeposition-selective with respect to said material.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A charged particle beam patterning system, comprising:multiple local gas injectors configured to inject an initial gas oranother gas onto corresponding frames, said initial gas selected to beadsorbed by the substrate, said another gas selected to react with saidinitial adsorbed gas to form a deposited layer; multiple chargedparticle beam columns, individual ones of said columns configured toproduce an individual charged particle beam, different ones of saidcolumns having different writing areas, a beam energy of said beamsselected to provide the energy for said adsorption and/or said reaction;one or more column controllers storing instructions in acomputer-readable nontransitory medium that, when executed, direct saidcontrollers to: control said local gas injectors to serially inject saidinitial gas and said another gas into corresponding frames; and controlsaid columns to scan said frames using said beams, targeting substratelocations in dependence on the design layout database; and a blanketdeposition tool configured to blanket deposit a material, wherein saidinitial gas, said another gas and said material are selected such thatsaid deposited layer is deposition-selective with respect to saidmaterial.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: Methods, devices and systems for targeted, masklessmodification of material on or in a substrate using charged particlebeams. Electrostatically-deflected charged particle beam columns can betargeted in direct dependence on the design layout database to performdirect and knock-on ion implantation, producing patterned materialmodifications with selected chemical and 3D-structural profiles. Thenumber of required process steps is reduced, reducing manufacturingcycle time and increasing yield by lowering the probability of defectintroduction. Local gas and photon injectors and detectors are local tocorresponding individual columns, and support superior,highly-configurable process execution and control. Targeted implantationcan be used to prepare the substrate for patterned blanket etch;patterned ALD can be used to prepare the substrate for patterned blanketdeposition; neither process requiring photomasks or resist. Arrays ofhighly configurable beam columns can also be used to perform bothpositive and negative tone lithography in a single pass.

Modifications and Variations

As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the innovativeconcepts described in the present application can be modified and variedover a tremendous range of applications, and accordingly the scope ofpatented subject matter is not limited by any of the specific exemplaryteachings given. It is intended to embrace all such alternatives,modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scopeof the appended claims.

In some embodiments, multibeam tools comprisingelectrostatically-deflected charged particle beam columns using localgas and/or photon injectors and/or detectors can also be used to performother substrate manufacturing processes, particularly: addition ofmaterials to a substrate surface as designated by a design layoutdatabase and localized to substrate positions directly affected by saidbeams (material addition); and removal of substrate materials from thesubstrate surface as designated by a design layout database andlocalized to substrate positions directly affected by said beams(material subtraction).

In some embodiments, (preferably minimal) overlap of writing areas canbe allowed to ensure complete access to useful substrate surface bycharged particle beams.

Though particular types of direct material modification processes havebeen described hereinabove, other charged particle beam-assistedor—induced direct material modification processes can also be used.

In some embodiments, direct material modification can be used to modifymaterial bulk and/or surface properties. In some embodiments, directmaterial modification can be used to modify a dopant profile of asubstrate.

In some embodiments, material electrical properties can be modified byion implantation of semiconductor wafers to form p- and n-doped activeareas or to adjust material resistance or capacitance; polymers such asphotoresist can be modified by electron-beam induced cross-linking ordissociation; and insulating layers can be modified by ion implantationfor the purpose of altering tensile and compressive stress.

In some embodiments, material crystallinity and grain structure can bemodified by doping to adjust mechanical, thermal, optical, andelectrical properties. See, e.g., the Roschchupkina and Jain referencescited more fully below.

In some embodiments, material etch selectivity, orsolubility/insolubility, can be modified by charged particle beaminduced cross-linking or dissociation, or by defect introduction toprepare the material for selective etch.

In some embodiments, material hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity can bemodified by doping. See, e.g., the Yamada reference cited more fullybelow.

Though certain embodiments have been disclosed herein using particulartypes of adsorption, one of ordinary skill in the arts of chargedparticle beam material modification will understand that in someembodiments, other types of adsorption can be used, e.g., dissociativeadsorption, ligand exchange and associative chemisorption.

In some embodiments, post-exposure (irradiation) bake of dual-toneresist using local (IR) photon injectors can be used, e.g., to improveresist adhesion and reduce underetching in subsequent wet chemicaletching. See, e.g., http://www.photoresists.eu/photoresist_1522.html(accessed Dec. 14, 2015), which is incorporated herein by reference.

In some embodiments corresponding to FIG. 12, blanket-deposition can beperformed in the same vacuum chamber as ALD. In some embodimentscorresponding to FIG. 12, blanket-deposition can be performed in adifferent vacuum chamber from ALD.

In some embodiments, local (IR) photon injectors can be used toaccelerate purging of excess reactants from the substrate surface.

In some embodiments, a cooled substrate stage can be used to assist inminimizing dopant migration following implantation.

In some embodiments, ion beam columns can be matched to electron beamcolumns by calibrating deflection parameters (and/or other columnparameters) to take into account beam composition (and other columnconfiguration) differences.

In some embodiments, ion beam columns are matched to ion beam columns,and electron beam columns are matched to electron beam columns, but ionbeam columns are not matched to electron beam columns.

In some embodiments, patterns can be designed to increase the averagenumber of features per frame that contains features, and/or to increasethe number of frames that contain no features; e.g., to take advantageof per-frame localization of endpoint detection and process monitoring,and/or to improve signal-to-noise ratio of process measurements andanalysis.

In some embodiments, a column (i.e., with particular injectors and/ordetectors) can be used to perform more than one material modificationprocess type or other substrate process (e.g., imaging for purposes ofdefect detection) without changing the column's physical configuration.

In some embodiments, a physical configuration of a column can bespecialized and/or optimized to perform a single material modificationprocess type or other substrate process (e.g., imaging for purposes ofdefect detection).

In some embodiments, the body of an injector or detector interpenetratesthe housing of a column (without interfering with charged particle beampath-related structures, or the beam itself).

In some embodiments, in which there is a mechanical impedimentpreventing making an injector or detector local, the injector ordetector is located outside the perimeter of the corresponding columnbut within the writing area of the column.

In some embodiments, a local injector or detector is located between thecolumn and the substrate surface.

In some embodiments (e.g., for some material modification processesand/or applications and/or other substrate manufacturing processes),there is a near-linear inverse proportionality between gas partialpressure increase within the main-field deflection area and directmaterial modification cycle time (e.g., when gas partial pressure is therate-limiting parameter).

In some embodiments, one or more columns perform direct materialmodification corresponding to multiple layers of pattern in a singlepass—e.g., within a single process cycle, on multiple layers in one ormore frames (separate main-field deflection areas). In some suchembodiments, different direct material modification process types areused to perform material modification on different ones of said multiplelayers in a particular frame.

In some embodiments, local gas and/or photon detectors can be used togenerate persistent per-column performance metrics.

In some embodiments, gas and/or photon injection can be performed priorto charged particle beam scanning, e.g., to prepare the substratesurface in advance.

Though particular combinations of local gas and photon injectors, andlocal gas, photon and electron detectors have been described herein, oneof ordinary skill in the arts of material modification using chargedparticle beams will understand that various other combinations (invarious physical arrangements), including some or all of said localinjectors and detectors, with one or more of ones of said injectors anddetectors local per column, can be used to configure a column and toperform direct material modification as disclosed herein.

In some embodiments, local detectors can be limited to local electrondetectors used for critical dimension (CD) metrology or overlay(accurate placement of a pattern layer over one or more prior patternlayers), local photon detectors used for localized temperaturemonitoring, and local gas detectors used for localized processmonitoring.

In some embodiments, local detectors can be limited to local electrondetectors used for CD metrology or overlay, localized process monitoringand end point detection.

In some embodiments, local detectors can be limited to local photondetectors used for localized process monitoring and end point detection,e.g., in applications where overlay is not required.

In some embodiments, a local gas injector focuses gas particles on anarea larger than the main-field deflection area; in some embodiments, alocal gas injector does so for advance preparation of adjacent frames.

In some embodiments, a local gas detector can be used to performanalysis of gas particles with techniques other than secondary ion massspectrometry.

In some embodiments, a kinetic lens is atomically smooth.

In some embodiments, the largest diameter of a kinetic lens issignificantly larger than the diameter of the corresponding gas outflowor inflow opening.

In some embodiments, a kinetic lens is fixedly connected to a gasinjector outflow or a gas detector inflow so that gas particles cannotescape from the connection between the kinetic lens and thecorresponding gas outflow or inflow opening.

In some embodiments, a kinetic lens is wholly or partially nonmetallic.

In some embodiments, a kinetic lens is shaped such that few or nopossible gas particle trajectories originating at an intended gasparticle source (generally, the main-field deflection area or acorresponding gas injector opening) will result in a gas particle being“trapped” within the kinetic lens. In some embodiments, a kinetic lensis shaped such that few or no possible gas particle trajectoriesoriginating at an intended gas particle source will be reflected by thekinetic lens such that the gas particle moves closer to said source andfurther from the intended destination (generally, a corresponding gasdetector opening or the main-field deflection area).

In some embodiments, a frame-facing kinetic lens opening is smaller thanthe largest diameter (orthogonal to the main axis) of the kinetic lens.

While particular examples of kinetic lens shapes have been describedhereinabove, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the arts ofcharged particle beam substrate material modification that other kineticlens shapes can also be used to stochastically increase partial pressurein the main-field deflection area (e.g., through gas flow collimationand focusing). For example, ellipsoids with three different axes,paraboloidal reflectors, or elongated truncated tapering flat-sided orcurved-sided horns.

In some embodiments, photon injectors and/or photon detectors can befixed in position with respect to a corresponding individual column anddisposed non-locally to that corresponding column, as long as they areable to focus sufficient emitted photons on, or collect sufficientemitted photons from, the main-field deflection area of saidcorresponding column (or larger area within the corresponding writingarea) to effectively function in support of the particular materialmodification process(es) in which they are used.

In some embodiments, one or more lasers, e.g., diode lasers, provide thelight source for a local photon injector.

In some embodiments, wavelength and/or wavelength range and/ordistribution of photons emitted by a photon injector is tunable.

In some embodiments, non-local photon injectors are used, ones of saidphoton injectors fixed in position with respect to corresponding columnsand having line of sight on a desired irradiation area within thecorresponding writing area.

In some embodiments, non-local photon detectors are used, ones of saidphoton detectors fixed in position with respect to correspondingindividual ones of the columns and having line of sight on a desiredphoton collection area within the corresponding writing area.

In some embodiments, a local photon injector focuses emitted photons onan area within the main-field deflection area.

In some embodiments, a local photon injector focuses emitted photons onan area larger than the main-field deflection area; in some embodiments,a local photon injector does so for advance preparation of adjacentframes.

In some embodiments, a local photon detector is arranged to collectreflected IR photons to perform process monitoring, where said IRphotons were also used to increase the temperature of the substrate.

In some embodiments, other or additional analyses are performed oncollected photons than those listed hereinabove.

In some embodiments, other or additional properties of substrate surfacematerial are determined using analysis of detected photons than thoselisted hereinabove.

In some embodiments, photon injectors shine photons with one or morewavelengths between infrared and deep UV on the main-field deflectionarea.

In some embodiments, one or more local photon injectors are not pairedwith corresponding photon detectors, such that reflected light from theunpaired photon injectors will generally not be detected. In someembodiments, one or more local photon detectors are not paired withcorresponding photon injectors, such that the unpaired photon detectorswill primarily detect emitted (from the substrate surface), rather thanreflected light.

A person of ordinary skill in the arts of charged particle beamsubstrate material modification will recognize that a variety of opticallens materials and shapes, and optical connections between light sourcesand optical lenses, can be used for photon injectors and detectors; andthat a variety of light sources can be used for photon injectors.

In some photon injector embodiments, a light source and an optical lensare directly connected. In some photon detector embodiments, an opticallens and a sensor are directly connected. One of ordinary skill in thearts of charged particle beam material modification will understand thatvarious types of connection between light source and optical lens,between sensor and optical lens, between gas injector outflow and gassource, and between gas detector inflow and mass spectrometer can beused.

In some embodiments, such as when a “shadowing” effect is anticipatedsuch that one or more photon or gas injectors will not haveline-of-sight on a target beam impact location during (at least oneperiod of) a material modification process, two or more photon or gasinjectors (respectively, spaced at, e.g., 90 or 180 degree increments)can be used so that when a photon or gas injector is “shadowed”, one ormore of the other photon or gas injectors will have line of sight on thetarget beam impact location.

In some embodiments, material modification as disclosed herein can beused in combination with other substrate processing procedures (e.g.,optical lithography and/or charged particle beam lithography) that useresist and/or photomasks to produce semiconductor and other substratedevices.

In some embodiments, charged particle beam columns can use electrostaticfocus mechanisms; in some embodiments, charged particle beam columns canuse magnetic focus mechanisms.

Additional general background, which helps to show variations andimplementations, may be found in the following publications, all ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference: Ivo Utke, et al.,“Gas-assisted focused electron beam and ion beam processing andfabrication”, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 26(4), 1197-1276, July/August2008; N. Chekurov, et al., “Dry fabrication of microdevices by thecombination of focused ion beam and cryogenic deep reactive ionetching”, J. Micromech. Microeng. 20, 085009 (2010); Riika Puurunen,“Surface chemistry of atomic layer deposition: a case study for thetrimethylaluminum/water process”, J. App. Phys. 97, 121301 (2005);Steven M. George, “Atomic Layer Deposition: An Overview”, Chem. Rev.(2010), 110(1), 111-31; I. P. Jain, et al., “Ion beam induced surfaceand interface engineering”, Surface Sci. Rep. 66 (2011), 77-172; O. D.Roshchupkina et al., “Focused ion beam induced structural modificationsin thin magnetic films”, J. App. Phys. 112, 033901 (2012); YutakaYamada, et al., “Tuning Surface Wettability at the Submicron-Scale:Effect of Focused Ion Beam Irradiation on a Self-Assembled Monolayer”,J. Phys. Chem. C (12/2015), DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b09019; U.S. Pat. No.6,355,994; U.S. Pat. No. 6,617,587; U.S. Pat. No. 6,734,428; U.S. Pat.No. 6,738,506; U.S. Pat. No. 6,777,675; U.S. Pat. No. 6,844,550; U.S.Pat. No. 6,872,958; U.S. Pat. No. 6,943,351; U.S. Pat. No. 6,977,375;U.S. Pat. No. 7,122,795; U.S. Pat. No. 7,227,142; U.S. Pat. No.7,435,956; U.S. Pat. No. 7,456,402; U.S. Pat. No. 7,462,848; U.S. Pat.No. 7,786,454; U.S. Pat. No. 7,928,404; U.S. Pat. No. 7,941,237; U.S.Pat. No. 8,242,457; U.S. Pat. No. 8,384,048; U.S. Pat. No. 8,999,627;U.S. Pat. No. 8,999,628; and U.S. Pat. No. 9,184,027.

Additional general background, which helps to show variations andimplementations, as well as some features which can be implementedsynergistically with the inventions claimed below, may be found in thefollowing US patent applications. All of these applications have atleast some common ownership, copendency, and inventorship with thepresent application, and all of them, as well as any material directlyor indirectly incorporated within them, are hereby incorporated byreference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/085,768; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/703,306; U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/607,821; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/522,563; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/523,909; U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/694,710; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/695,767; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/695,776; U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/695,785; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/745,463; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/809,985; and U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/966,165.

None of the description in the present application should be read asimplying that any particular element, step, or function is an essentialelement which must be included in the claim scope: THE SCOPE OF PATENTEDSUBJECT MATTER IS DEFINED ONLY BY THE ALLOWED CLAIMS. Moreover, none ofthese claims are intended to invoke paragraph six of 35 USC section 112unless the exact words “means for” are followed by a participle.

The claims as filed are intended to be as comprehensive as possible, andNO subject matter is intentionally relinquished, dedicated, orabandoned.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for charged particle beam patterning using multiple charged particle beam columns, individual columns projecting individual charged particle beams at the substrate, comprising the actions of: a) serially injecting, using multiple local gas injectors, an initial gas and then another gas onto multiple frames corresponding to multiple different ones of the beams, said initial gas selected to be adsorbed by the substrate, said another gas selected to react with said initial adsorbed gas to form a deposited layer; b) scanning the frames using said corresponding beams, locations being targeted by said corresponding beams in dependence on the design layout database, wherein a beam energy of said beams is selected to provide the energy for said adsorption and/or said reaction; and c) blanket depositing a material on the substrate surface; wherein said initial gas, said another gas and said material are selected such that said deposited layer is deposition-selective with respect to said material.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said initial gas and said another gas are selected such that either blanket deposition of said material will result in growth of said material on said deposited layer but not on an underlying material, or such that blanket deposition of said material will result in growth of said material on said underlying material but not on said deposited layer.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said injecting and said scanning are performed differently and simultaneously by different ones of said local gas injectors and said columns.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said injecting and said scanning are performed in a different tool from, or in a different chamber within the same tool as, the tool used for said blanket depositing.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising iteratively repeating steps a) and b) to thereby deposit material at said targeted locations to a selected number of layers of said adsorbed and reacted gasses, wherein said initial gas is also selected to be adsorbed by said deposited layer.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said corresponding beams are targeted in direct dependence on the design layout database.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising injecting photons onto multiple ones of said frames using local photon injectors, said photons having a wavelength selected to, within corresponding ones of said frames, do at least one of: raising the temperature of the substrate surface material; exciting electrons of said substrate surface material; and reflecting photons off said corresponding frame to be collected by a local photon detector.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein none of a photomask, resist layer or hard mask are used to perform said step a) and step b) deposition, or said step c) deposition.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting photons emitted or reflected from said frames using local photon detectors; analyzing said collected photons; and at least one of: determining endpoints for said deposition in at least partial dependence on said analyzing, wherein said scanning and/or said injecting are performed in at least partial dependence on said determining; and automatically modifying parameters controlling said scanning and/or said injecting and/or said determining in at least partial dependence on said analyzing.
 10. A charged particle beam patterning system, comprising: multiple local gas injectors configured to inject an initial gas or another gas onto corresponding frames, said initial gas selected to be adsorbed by the substrate, said another gas selected to react with said initial adsorbed gas to form a deposited layer; multiple charged particle beam columns, individual ones of said columns configured to produce an individual charged particle beam, different ones of said columns having different writing areas, a beam energy of said beams selected to provide the energy for said adsorption and/or said reaction; one or more column controllers storing instructions in a computer-readable nontransitory medium that, when executed, direct said controllers to: control said local gas injectors to serially inject said initial gas and said another gas into corresponding frames; and control said columns to scan said frames using said beams, targeting substrate locations in dependence on the design layout database; and a blanket deposition tool configured to blanket deposit a material, wherein said initial gas, said another gas and said material are selected such that said deposited layer is deposition-selective with respect to said material.
 11. The patterning system of claim 10, wherein ones of said local gas injectors are local to corresponding ones of said columns.
 12. The patterning system of claim 10, wherein said initial gas and said another gas are selected such that either blanket deposition of said material will result in growth of said material on said deposited layer but not on an underlying material, or such that blanket deposition of said material will result in growth of said material on said underlying material but not on said deposited layer.
 13. The patterning system of claim 10, wherein said controllers are configured to control said injecting and said scanning to be performed differently and simultaneously by different ones of said local gas injectors and said columns.
 14. The patterning system of claim 10, wherein said local gas injectors, said columns and said controllers comprise a different tool from said blanket deposition tool.
 15. The patterning system of claim 10, wherein said controllers are configured to target said beams in direct dependence on the design layout database.
 16. The patterning system of claim 10, further comprising multiple local photon injectors corresponding to multiple ones of said columns, said photons injectors configured to inject photons with a wavelength selected to do at least one of: raising the temperature of the substrate surface material; exciting electrons of said substrate surface material; and reflecting photons off said corresponding frame to be collected by a local photon detector.
 17. The patterning system of claim 10, wherein said controllers are configured not to use a photomask, resist layer or hard mask to form said deposited layer.
 18. The patterning system of claim 10, further comprising local photon detectors configured to collect photons emitted or reflected from said frames; wherein said controllers are configured to analyze said collected photons, and perform at least one of: determining endpoints for said deposition in at least partial dependence on said analyzing, wherein said scanning and/or said injecting are performed in at least partial dependence on said determining; and automatically modifying parameters controlling said scanning and/or said injecting and/or said determining in at least partial dependence on said analyzing. 